Improvement in hop-frames



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS D. AYLESVVOBTH, OF ILION, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOP-FRAMES.

Specification forming part ot' Letters Patent No. 23,338, dated March29, 1859.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS l). AYLEs WORTH, of Ilion, in the county ofHerkimer and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Hop-Frames; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the construction and operationofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making apart of this specification, and which represents in perspective one ofthe frames in question with the training cords or wires in place.

The object of my present invention is to obviate some of the defectsthat existed in my former plan of hop-frames.

In niy former invention the hooks that were to hold the trainingwires tothe main wire would cast off, and there was a difficulty in letting downand raising up the inain wire. All these defects I have obviated in mypresent plan, and have guarded against all diftieulty in the use ofthese frames.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the saine with reference to the drawings A Arepresent two permanent posts or supports, at any suitable distanceapart, and to one ot' which a Wire, B, may be permanently attached, andon the other there may be a drum or pulley, C, provided with a crank, D,and with stop-holes a and a pin, D, for the purpose of straining up orletting down said wire B at that end or holding` it at any desiredheight, said holes and pin acting as a dog and ratchet.

E is a stay or lniddle post, of which there may be any suitable number,between the outside ones. On these middle posts there are fixed supportsF for the wire to rest in. The recess c, that the wire rests in on thesemiddle posts, is wedge-shaped, or wide at top and narrowing toward thebottom. The object of this is to better hold the main wire B and preventit from too freely slipping when said wire is let down to loosen thetraining-wires or gather the hops. It also prevents the outside postsfrom taking all the strain when the wind blows against the frame orvines, for when additional stress or strain comes against the main wirethe tighter it is held in these supports.

d are the training cords or wires. They may be fastened at theirlowerends to stakes driven into the earth, and at their upper ends they arefurnished with snap-hooks e, which, when placed over the lnain wire B,will not easily come oft, as their short part must be sprung open beforethey can be placed over or removed from the main wire.

Another advantage of the supports F, not mentioned above, is that if thewire B should happen to break it will not let down farther than to thetirst post next to the break, for the inoinent the weight or straincomes upon the wire itdraws so tightinto the w edge-shaped space as tohohl itself by the friction created.

The large drum or pulley C possesses many advantages over the pinheretofore used, i nasmuch as it does not so bend the wire as to destroyits liber and consequent strength.

Having thus fully described the nature and object of my invention, whatI claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

is- Y l. So hanging the main wire B upon the support-s F as that saidsupports will prevent the wire from slipping through them should it.accidentally' become loose or broken,substantially as herein described.

2. In combination with the main wire, suspended as herein represented,the uniting thereto of the training-wires l by springhooks,substantially as described and shown.

THOS. D. AYLESWORTH.

Witnesses:

J. E. S. HAMILTON, DELANo T.' SMITH.

